Joseph Rudolf Lewy (1802–1881)
Joseph-Rodolphe (later Germanised to Joseph-Rudolf) Lewy was born on 2 April 1802 in Nancy, France, and grew up together with his older brother Eduard Constantin in the household of their father, a cellist in the chapel of the Duke of Zweibrücken. Like his brother, he studied horn at the Paris Conservatoire in the class of Frédéric Duvernoy.
His brother brought him to Basel as a violist and hornist, from where, on the recommendation of Peter Joseph von Lindpaintner, he moved to the royal chapel in Stuttgart as a hornist. In 1826 his brother again prompted him to move, this time to the imperial court opera orchestra in Vienna. In the years that followed, the two brothers earned great renown for their outstanding ensemble playing.
From the early 1830s, Joseph Rudolf gave up his permanent position and toured Europe. In 1837 Lewy was called to Dresden, where he played as principal hornist in the royal chapel.
In 1851 Lewy retired and settled in the Oberlößnitz, today a district of Radebeul, adding his wife's name to his own to become Lewy-Hoffmann. He died there on 19 February 1881.
Lewy was one of the pioneers of the valve horn. Numerous compositions for horn by him survive, including a concertino and 12 études, among others. He played a decisive role in the creation of Franz Schubert's "Auf dem Strom" and gave the work its first performance in 1828.
